Promote Expansion of Home- and Community-based Health Care

Published on November 21st, 2011

Summary

Home- and community-based services (HCBS) allow individuals who might otherwise seek nursing home care to remain in their homes close to supporting family and community and provides necessary care to hospital patients upon discharge. Without adequate HCBS, patients will remain in high-cost and inappropriate settings. The Medicaid cuts instituted in the 2011 budget at the recommendation of the Medicaid Redesign Task Force disproportionately impacted home care providers.

Increased capital financing for deployment of telemedicine and other technologies that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of home health care, particularly for the frail elderly in rural and inner-city areas

Adequate reimbursement for administration and home health care staffing

Shortages in the home- and community-based services workforce also continue to plague many agencies. Increasing administrative costs, which are already inadequately reimbursed, compound the problems of many home care agencies and erode their ability to offer cost-effective non-institutional care to vulnerable seniors and special needs populations.